Mock trial members pose with Judge Moss. From left: junior Co-Head Jake Warren, junior Co-Head Alex Topping, junior Sam Tonkon, junior Charlie Greenberg

During every Sunday this school year, and hopefully for many more school years to come, Mock Trial club meets in the Haber Room from 9 to 12 to learn about the judicial system and the ins and outs of courts.

Juniors Alex Topping and Jake Warren brought back Mock Trial this fall. To bring this amazing club back to life they first had to find a faculty advisor. They struck out a couple of times but then found out that Ms. Frankel was previously the faculty advisor before the club got shut down due to Covid. So they pitched their idea and she said “Yes.” Once she said yes there was a problem finding people. They found people by going around to their History and English teachers.

At first I was only mildly interested in the legal world, but after joining Mock Trial and learning it grew on me. Being in Mock Trial has really improved my public speaking skills because I get to talk in front of people whom I don’t know well. The club has also helped other skills of mine like critical thinking.

Recently, myself and the whole mock trial club have been preparing for a competitive court simulation. Leading up to the simulation, our school was given the same case as other schools’ mock trial teams, and everyone was given a role, either witnesses or lawyers, and split into the sides of either the defense or the prosecution. The trial is happening on two different days— on the first, our prosecution will argue against another school’s defense, and then vice versa on the second.

I am a witness on the defense side of the case, so on Friday, 2/9, I am going to be interviewed by my lawyer Sam Tonkon, a junior at SCH and in the club. In the interview I will answer questions that come from my witness statement that I have been working on. Since I’m the defense witness these questions will try and prove that the defendant is not guilty. Hopefully we are able to convince the judges, too!